The Short Title of this Act is “The Hokitika Steam Tug Act, 1884.”

The Hokitika Harbour Board (hereinafter called “the Board”) may, as soon as conveniently may be after the passing of this Act, purchase a steam tug-boat for the use of the Port of Hokitika.

In order to raise money for the purchase of the said boat it shall be lawful for the Board, and they are hereby authorized to raise and borrow, from time to time, in addition to all other money heretofore borrowed and raised, or authorized to be borrowed and raised, by the Board, a sum or sums of money not exceeding in the whole eight thousand pounds.

All moneys borrowed under the authority of this Act shall be expended and applied in or towards the purchase and fitting-up of the said tug-boat, and for no other purpose whatsoever.

All moneys received by the Board by virtue of this Act shall be paid to a separate account, and all payments made for the purpose of this Act shall be paid out of the said account.

This Act shall be deemed to be a special Act within the meaning of section one hundred and eighty-eight of “The Harbours Act, 1878.”

In addition to any security authorized by “The Harbours Act, 1878,” the Board may pledge or otherwise give security over the said tug-boat for the payment of the loan hereby authorized.

For the purposes of this Act, the harbour district shall be the Boroughs of Hokitika and Ross, and the Riding of Kanieri, in the County of Westland.

Before the loan authorized by this Act is raised, the consent of the ratepayers in the harbour district shall first be obtained, in the mode hereinafter prescribed:—

A notice shall be published in a newspaper circulating in the district, and shall specify the time and place in each borough and riding at which meetings are to be held to consider a proposal to raise such special loan, or any part thereof, and the following particulars, namely:—

The Chairman of the Board (herein referred to as “the Chairman”) shall call meetings of the ratepayers, to be held within each borough situate within the district, and of the ratepayers of the Riding of Kanieri, upon a day not more than ten days after the last publication of such notice, to consider the said proposal; and shall appoint one of the members of the Municipal Corporation or County Council elected for the riding, as the case may be, to preside at each meeting, if such member shall be willing to act; and if no such member is willing to Act, or becomes incapacitated from acting from any cause, then such person as the Chairman thinks fit.

The member or person so appointed shall be called the “Presiding Officer,” and he shall preside at the meeting to be held in the borough or riding for which he has been appointed, and shall also preside at the taking of any poll as hereinafter provided.

After due consideration and discussion of the proposal, the Presiding Officer shall give notice that a poll will be taken.

The poll shall be taken as follows:—

Proposal to raise a Special Loan upon which a Poll will be taken on the day of, 188:—

[Insert notice required by section nine.]

The voter shall erase one or other of the said lines, and his vote shall be deemed to be given according to the one of the said hues which he leaves unerased:

All the provisions of “The Regulation of Local Elections Act, 1876,” as regards taking a poll, shall, so far as they are applicable, and except as by this section otherwise provided, apply to the taking of a poll on the proposal to raise a special loan:

A separate poll shall be taken in each borough and riding as aforesaid, and each voter shall have and may exercise as many votes as he has and may exercise at any election of the members of the local governing body of such borough or county respectively.

Every ratepayer within the district shall be entitled to vote according to the following scale, that is to say,—

If his rateable property is valued on any valuation roll at not more than one thousand pounds, he shall have one vote:

If such property is so valued at more than one thousand but not more than two thousand pounds, he shall have two votes:

If such property is so valued at more than two thousand but not more than three thousand pounds, he shall have three votes:

If such property is so valued at more than three thousand but not more than seven thousand five hundred pounds, he shall have four votes:

If such property is valued at more than seven thousand five hundred pounds, he shall have five votes.

If the number of votes given for the proposal represent an absolute majority of the votes exercisable within the harbour district, the resolution in favour of the proposal shall be deemed to be carried, and the Board may proceed with the proposal accordingly; but if there is not such a majority in favour of the proposal the resolution shall be deemed to be rejected, and the Board shall not so proceed.

As soon as conveniently may be after the result of the poll has been ascertained the Chairman shall give public notice of the number of votes recorded for and against the proposal as above provided, and shall declare the resolution to be carried or rejected, as the case may be.

When any such resolution is carried the Chairman shall send a notice thereof to the Colonial Secretary, who shall publish the same in the Gazette; and such notice so gazetted shall be final that the raising of the loan to which it refers has been duly authorized under the provisions of this Act, notwithstanding any omission or irregularity in any provision, matter, or thing required to be done hereunder or under “The Regulation of Local Elections Act, 1876.”

The Board, after the passing of this Act, shall, if the resolution in favour of the proposal be carried as aforesaid, make and levy a rate in the proportions in the different parts of the district not exceeding one penny in the pound upon all rateable property in the harbour district.

The proceeds of such rate shall be applied towards payment of the annual charges to accrue in respect of any loans to be raised under this Act.

The amount to be levied by the Board in each year shall not exceed such amount as is required to provide for the payment of interest on the aggregate amount for which debentures shall at that time be issued, and in addition one pound per centum per annum on such aggregate amount to be appropriated for the purposes of a sinking fund, after taking into account whatever sum of money may be available from the revenue of the Board for the previous year for payment of interest and sinking fond on the loan hereby authorized to be made.

For the purpose of making, levying, and recovering the hereinabove-mentioned rate, the Board shall have and may exercise all the powers of making, levying, or recovering rates in each borough and in each riding within the district, which any local body having rating powers within such borough or such riding has, or may have, under the law for the time being in force regulating the recovery of rates therein respectively.